When I first opened my eyes in this new world, everything was a blur. My senses were sharp, but my infant body was a prison of soft blankets and clumsy movements. Beside me, two young adults—barely in their early twenties—looked down at me with eyes full of wonder.
"He has your hair, Jeset," the man remarked, his voice thick with pride. He had vibrant red clothes and a rugged, kind face. "A deep, ocean blue."
"But those eyes... they are definitely yours, Asgard," the woman replied, her fingers gently brushing my forehead. She smiled, a warmth radiating from her that I had never felt in my previous life. "Let's call him Sable Kaelo."
Sable Asgard and Sable Jeset. My new parents. As I listened to their laughter, a strange realization washed over me. The lightning, the white void, and the God named Instinct—it wasn't a dream. I had truly been reborn.
Two years passed in a blink. In that time, I learned the language of Aster and the history of this world. According to my mother, it was the year 3212. We lived in an era of fragile peace, following three devastating Great World Wars that had nearly torn the planet apart.
The turning point came one afternoon when I was practicing my walking near the stairs. My toddler legs gave way, and I tumbled down a few steps, my head cracking against the wood. The pain was sharp, and I let out a reflexive cry.
"Kaelo!" My mother rushed toward me, her face pale with worry. She knelt beside me and closed her eyes, whispering a soft melody. "O Great Asto, hear my plea... grant the breath of life to heal my son."
In an instant, the air around her hands shimmered. Tiny, emerald-green particles materialized like glowing dust, sinking into my skin. The throbbing in my head vanished instantly, replaced by a soothing coolness.
"Amazing..." I whispered, staring at her hands. "Mom, what was that?"
She smiled, wiping away my tears. "That is Atara, my son. The sacred breath bestowed upon us by the God Asto when he created our world. It is the life force that allows us to command the elements—fire, wind, water, even the power to heal."
"Can I do it too?" I asked, my heart racing.
"There are ten ways to manifest it," she explained, counting on her fingers. "Visualization, Incantations, Prayer, Circles, Hand Signs, Books, Staves, Runes, Nature, and Circulation. Most people spend their whole lives mastering just one. I use Prayer, while your father uses Circulation to strengthen his body."
She challenged me to close my eyes and feel the energy within. Usually, children don't start this until they are ten, as the 'feel' for Atara can take days or weeks to grasp. But with my Adaptive Learning blessing, the moment I closed my eyes, I saw it. A vast, swirling ocean of white light deep within my soul.
I reached out and pulled a thread of that light toward my palm.
"Mom... I think I feel it."
"Don't be silly, dear. It takes—"
She stopped mid-sentence. A blindingly pure white light erupted from my tiny hand, illuminating the entire room. It wasn't just a spark; it was a condensed sphere of raw power.
"Asgard! Come quickly!" she screamed, her voice trembling. "Our son... Kaelo has awakened!"
My father came running, nearly tripping over the doorway. When he saw the light dancing in my palm, his jaw dropped. "By the Gods... at two years old? He's not just a talent, Jeset. He's a miracle."
By the time I turned three, I was ready for the official test. My mother brought home an Affinity Orb, a crystal that reveals a person's path. When she touched it, the word "Prayer" appeared in a soft glow.
Then, it was my turn. I placed my small hand on the cold surface of the orb. For a moment, the crystal turned pitch black, then brilliant gold, before settling on a text that made my mother gasp in disbelief:
[Adaptive Harmony - All Paths Unlocked]
I didn't need a book to tell me what that meant. God's blessing was working. I wasn't just going to be a Slayer. I was going to be everything.The discovery of my "All-Path" affinity sent a shockwave of hope through our small home. However, power without knowledge is like a blade without a hilt. I was hungry to learn, but the world of Aster had a steep price for its secrets.
"Kaelo," my father said one evening, his voice heavy with a mix of pride and worry. He placed a heavy leather pouch on the wooden table. It clinked with the sound of metal—1 million Riya.
I stared at the pouch. I knew what that money represented. It was their entire life savings from their days as Slayers, earned through blood and sweat before they retired to the quiet life of farming.
"Books are rare, son," my mother whispered, her hand resting on my shoulder. "Each basic manual costs 100,000 Riya. But if you truly have the potential to master all ten paths, we won't let your talent wither in this village."
They spent it all. Every single coin.
A few days later, ten weathered, leather-bound books sat on my desk. They were the "Basic Foundation Series," covering everything from Visualization to Circulation. To an ordinary person, 1 million Riya was a fortune—enough to buy a small house—but for me, it was the keys to a new kingdom.
"Thank you, Father... Mom," I said, my voice small but firm. I looked at the books, then at my parents' calloused hands. In my past life, I had no one to support my dreams. Here, I had everything.
I carried the stack to my training room, the scent of old parchment filling my lungs. I wasn't just going to read these. With Adaptive Learning, I was going to devour them. The journey to become the strongest Slayer on Aster had officially begun.